First Tropical Cyclone Harold Relief Teams Return

The first group of Government officials who were deployed to the disaster affected areas in the Eastern Division returned to Suva yesterday.

Minister for Disaster Management, Inia Seruiratu joined the Director National Disaster Management Office and other personnel from the National Emergency Operations Centre, to welcome the officials back. They commended them for their efforts to carry out detail damage assessments and distributing food ration and relief items.

Mr Seruiratu conveyed to the officers the appreciation of the Government, the Prime Minister and the people of Fiji for reaching out to those who were severely affected by Tropical Cyclone Harold.

“This is not over yet and we are looking forward to sending the next deployment in the first week of next month” he said.

Meanwhile with the latest survey, about 635 homes across the country were destroyed by TC Harold, with over 2100 reported as damaged.

Prime Minister Voreqe Bainimarama announced last Friday that under the Rural Housing Assistance programme, the Ministry of Housing and Community Development is working to provide relief to vulnerable households as quickly as possible.

“As has been the case in the wake of previous cyclones, we’ll be subsidising the cost of government-procured building materials for eligible households –– those making less than $15,000 a year -– on a one-third, two-thirds basis,” Mr Bainimarama said.

The Prime Minister added that alternatively, those applying for assistance can cover the cost of all building materials, but pay more affordable rates thanks to Government bulk-buying, and then have those discounted materials delivered to them with all shipping costs covered.

“Trees felled by the cyclone are also being repurposed into timber that will be provided free-of-charge for impacted homes by the Ministry of Forestry,” Mr Bainimarama said.

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